Automotive wheels have long been adorned with devices that provide an aesthetically-pleasing appearance. For instance, stamped, forged or cast steel wheels (sometimes called wheel rims, rims and/or hubs), wheel covers, or hubcaps, are utilized to enhance the wheel appearance, and may be plated with chromium to provide a bright, non-corroding, aesthetically-pleasing surface, or otherwise may be painted.
More advanced automotive wheel technology has provided wheels cast from aluminum or magnesium; thereby, providing a non-corroding bright polished finish that does not require further surface treatment. Additionally various creative styles of cast wheels, rims or hubs, in the shape of spokes or arms are available, and are popularly utilized to differentiate one owner's vehicle from that of another. Further, rotation of such spokes or arms provides a desired visual appearance of the wheel rotation.
Still even more complex wheel designs are available, most notably wheel spinners. Wheel spinners may resemble the spokes of the wheel/rim or other designs, but instead of being fixed like the actual spokes or arms, the spinner structure rotates on a bearing device, typically attached to the wheel via the existing wheel mounting studs and nuts. Thus, the wheel spinner is free to rotate, even if the underlying wheel is stationary. In use, due to low frictional forces within the bearings, rotation of the wheels during driving conditions causes rotation of the wheel spinner. Additionally, because the bearings have low friction, the wheel spinner continues with briefly-extended rotation once the wheel itself has come to a halt; thereby, providing a visually-pleasing appearance of continued wheel motion.
Unfortunately, available wheel spinners lack a means for continuous rotation during periods when the vehicle wheels are stationary; thus, when such wheel spinners eventually come to a halt, they no longer provide the desired “spinning” appearance. Even manually spinning the wheel spinner will result in only briefly-extended rotation due to the friction of the bearings on which the spinner is carried.
Moreover, although vehicles in motion may have active spinners, vehicles that are displayed at shows usually have stationary wheels and thus no rotation is imparted to the wheel spinner, rendering the spinner an undesirable non-moving wheel modification. Similarly, stationary model/toy vehicles may have spinners that can be briefly rotated, but again, frictional forces rapidly bring the rotating spinner to a halt.
Accordingly, various devices have be utilized in an attempt to overcome the lack of spinner rotation when a vehicle is stationary. These include remote control devices to activate rotation of the motorized wheels of display models, wherein the wheel is not in contact with a surface and thus can be otherwise freely rotated. Such motorized wheels thus cause rotation of the spinner via friction from the rotation of the wheels. However, the spinner cannot be selectively rotated independently from the wheel rotation.
In addition to the desired ability to rotate the spinner, it is further desirable that the spinner not add visual bulk to the wheel. That is, the spinner should lie as flat against the surface of the wheel as is possible to provide a relatively clean, flush appearance.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a motorized wheel spinner that can be remotely controlled by the vehicle owner and operated during periods of wheel rotation (such as when driving) and while the wheels are stationary.